I left here Thursday morning a little after 6am. Drove to Orlando, got to Helen's around 10am. She wasn't home. We had talked the night before and the only place she thought she might go was to "Seniors" if her friend Evelyn could take her (didn't tell her my plans to visit). So I went to the center and there she was, holding court with all of these younger (70s) men. They buzzed around her like she was the queen and they her drones. Wonderful to see!
As I walked to her table we made eye contact twice and I knew she didn't know who I was. When I got within couple of feet of her we made eye contact once more. I said to her "the third time you see me surely you'll know me". She got the most amazed look on her face and then her eyes filled with tears and she opened her arms to me. I was afraid to squeeze her as tightly as I wanted to...she's so tiny. The last time I saw Helen was in June of 2005. She probably weighed 120-125...now it's under 100. But her hair was done and she had makeup on and of course was dressed to the teeth...pretty little silk dress and a sweater and, get this!, red tennis shoes!
Cute, cute, cute!
I took her home from the center after lunch and we visited until 2pm. Hated to leave and she cried.
Ran into some really bad weather on the Turnpike, 20-30 mph type weather, but the big trucks weren't a numerous as they had been on the trip down and after I was on 75 and past Ocala the regular traffic cleared out some, too.
Got home around 6pm. Pooped!
My new travel thought...try not to travel East in the morning and West in the afternoon!
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Road Trip
6:00AM
Leaving in just a few miutes to dash down to Orlando to see Helen. Plan to return later today.
Leaving in just a few miutes to dash down to Orlando to see Helen. Plan to return later today.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
The Assignment
Yesterday the boss called me into his office and "gave" me an assignment. It seems our driver isn't leaving the business Visa card when he goes home to Thomasville after his runs. HWB told me that from now on it was MY responsibility to make sure to get the card from him. Then he added that if I failed to do it he would fire me. Now he may have seen that as incentive, but I see it as a threat and as much as I hate it, I'm thinking of looking for another job. I'm quite upset!
We've had four straight days of wonderful rain! Actually thunder storms with major lighting and buckets and buckets of rain. Glorious!
Brought an oakleaf hydrangea and a dwarf red Japanese maple home on Monday. Need to get them into the ground.
Six straight hours of Survivor on tv tonight! Yeah!
We've had four straight days of wonderful rain! Actually thunder storms with major lighting and buckets and buckets of rain. Glorious!
Brought an oakleaf hydrangea and a dwarf red Japanese maple home on Monday. Need to get them into the ground.
Six straight hours of Survivor on tv tonight! Yeah!
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Boom, boom, boom
Well, there's something to be said for canopied roads, Spanish moss and rain. They are all beautiful! The rain especially, since we've been so dry.
Yeasteday the rain started around 2:30, not hard, but rain! We're going weeks in between rains and I'm finding it impossible to water enough. In fact, there are 4 dead azaleas in the front of the house...I've been concentrating on the new things I've put out back.
It rained lightly until I got home around 4:30, however, it wasn't nearly enough, so I stood out in the sprinkle and watered. Probably looked stupid, but it was necessary. Neighbors mother came over and we had a nice visit.
By the time I went inside (around 6) the rain was completely gone. Turned on the Golden Girls and here it came...BOOM, BOOM, BOOM! and the power went out. Of course I went out on the front porch to see what was happening and was just in time to see a runner of flame traveling down the power lines to the pole out front, the street light exploded, glass going everywhere, and then one of the cross arms that hold the insulators split in two and it and the insulators went everywhere. Dashed inside grabbed the phone and it was dead. Then the power came back on. All of this happened in a matter of moments.
With the power the phone came back so I called Progress Energy.
Then I went back out so I could keep an eye on the pole. I was shaking like a leaf and of course my back went into spasms.
Monticello is a town of beautiful, old canopied roads. When it's dry for so long the added weight of rain on the moss in the old trees is just enough to bring them down. That's what happened last night. Just 4 houses down a beautiful old oak fell from one yard all the way across the street into that yard. It brought down lines and created a traffic jam!
When Progress Energy got here I asked if I'd lose power while they worked on the lines. One fellow said "Lady, you've already lost power and we'll restore it". When I told him I had power he said "How?" looking up at the pole!
Yeasteday the rain started around 2:30, not hard, but rain! We're going weeks in between rains and I'm finding it impossible to water enough. In fact, there are 4 dead azaleas in the front of the house...I've been concentrating on the new things I've put out back.
It rained lightly until I got home around 4:30, however, it wasn't nearly enough, so I stood out in the sprinkle and watered. Probably looked stupid, but it was necessary. Neighbors mother came over and we had a nice visit.
By the time I went inside (around 6) the rain was completely gone. Turned on the Golden Girls and here it came...BOOM, BOOM, BOOM! and the power went out. Of course I went out on the front porch to see what was happening and was just in time to see a runner of flame traveling down the power lines to the pole out front, the street light exploded, glass going everywhere, and then one of the cross arms that hold the insulators split in two and it and the insulators went everywhere. Dashed inside grabbed the phone and it was dead. Then the power came back on. All of this happened in a matter of moments.
With the power the phone came back so I called Progress Energy.
Then I went back out so I could keep an eye on the pole. I was shaking like a leaf and of course my back went into spasms.
Monticello is a town of beautiful, old canopied roads. When it's dry for so long the added weight of rain on the moss in the old trees is just enough to bring them down. That's what happened last night. Just 4 houses down a beautiful old oak fell from one yard all the way across the street into that yard. It brought down lines and created a traffic jam!
When Progress Energy got here I asked if I'd lose power while they worked on the lines. One fellow said "Lady, you've already lost power and we'll restore it". When I told him I had power he said "How?" looking up at the pole!
Friday, July 14, 2006
Hot, hot, hot!
"They" say it'll be above 100 degrees here today, but it has a ways to go. Just looked at the thermometer and it's 90.1. It's also overcast and mighty muggy!
Nothing particular to say...just a weather update.
Nothing particular to say...just a weather update.
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Hot and Dry
We've been sooo hot and dry here lately...very unlike our "norm". My water bill went up from $46 to $52 and when I went to pay it at City Hall I asked why...she said "maybe you're watering your plants"...DUH!
Goodness has stayed in the house several nights in a row. Not sure why. Sometimes he'll last until I get up in the morning, sometimes he wants out around 3-4am. Odd.
No news...works good. House needs cleaning. Weeding is getting ahead of me.
Friday night my sister came over and we went to Sage for dinner. Sat outside until 10pm. Had a good time. She called twice last night.
Helen's still hanging in there. She's a trooper.
Goodness has stayed in the house several nights in a row. Not sure why. Sometimes he'll last until I get up in the morning, sometimes he wants out around 3-4am. Odd.
No news...works good. House needs cleaning. Weeding is getting ahead of me.
Friday night my sister came over and we went to Sage for dinner. Sat outside until 10pm. Had a good time. She called twice last night.
Helen's still hanging in there. She's a trooper.
Monday, July 03, 2006
Just to post
There was an article in the paper this morning about the "political correctness" of calling a fat person "obese". You'd think that that's a no brainer. Fat....obese, fat....obese. Don't they think we know it's one and the same and if we are fat we know it and we also know we're obese. Dumb, dumb article! What a waste of time!
I've had two full days off so far and still have today and tomorrow. I've weeded, cooked, worked on my work room and watched tv. Would like two more weeks of it!
I actually picked Cameo up this morning. He's a young unneutered cat. Very skinny and quite sweet! He buried his face in my neck and purred loudly! I have two choices (actually three) I can take him to the Humane Society, but they are so overloaded with kittens that I'd bet he'd never be adopted...I can have him neutered and call him mine...or I can do nothing and just leave things as they are. The last option seems the easiest, but I keep thinking of male cat spray smell.
Mother and Bert have gone to the mountains for the month of July.
Helen's calling daily. A couple of times I felt sure it was her and didn't answer. I hate doing that, but there just isn't a couple of hours daily worth of chit chat left in me. Her short term memory is so bad and the repetition is difficult for me. I sound selfish and perhaps I am, I do love her and I do care about her...just don't know what the answer is.
I've had two full days off so far and still have today and tomorrow. I've weeded, cooked, worked on my work room and watched tv. Would like two more weeks of it!
I actually picked Cameo up this morning. He's a young unneutered cat. Very skinny and quite sweet! He buried his face in my neck and purred loudly! I have two choices (actually three) I can take him to the Humane Society, but they are so overloaded with kittens that I'd bet he'd never be adopted...I can have him neutered and call him mine...or I can do nothing and just leave things as they are. The last option seems the easiest, but I keep thinking of male cat spray smell.
Mother and Bert have gone to the mountains for the month of July.
Helen's calling daily. A couple of times I felt sure it was her and didn't answer. I hate doing that, but there just isn't a couple of hours daily worth of chit chat left in me. Her short term memory is so bad and the repetition is difficult for me. I sound selfish and perhaps I am, I do love her and I do care about her...just don't know what the answer is.
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